This invention relates to a thermally stable diamond abrasive body.
Diamond abrasive compacts are well known in the art and consist essentially of a mass of diamond abrasive particles present in an amount of at least 70 percent, preferably 80 to 90 percent, by volume of the compact bonded into a hard conglomerate. Compacts are polycrystalline masses and can replace single large crystals in many applications.
Diamond compacts will typically contain a second phase evenly distributed through the diamond mass. The second phase may contain a dominant amount of a catalyst/solvent for diamond synthesis such as cobalt, nickel or iron. Diamond compacts having second phases of this nature will generally not have thermal stability above 700.degree. C. Other second phases, particularly those which contain little or no diamond catalyst/solvent, produce diamond compacts which have thermal stability above 700.degree. C.
Diamond abrasive compacts may be used alone or as composite compacts in which event they are backed with a cemented carbide substrate. Composite diamond abrasive compacts wherein the second phase contains a diamond catalyst/solvent are widely used in industry. However, difficulty has been experienced in producing a composite diamond abrasive compact or carbide supported wiredrawing dies wherein the diamond compact is thermally stable above 700.degree. C. To the best of the Applicant's knowledge, no such products are commercially available.